Medical devices such as ophthalmic lenses made from silicone-containing materials have been investigated for a number of years. Such materials can generally be sub-divided into two major classes, namely hydrogels and non-hydrogels. Non-hydrogels do not absorb appreciable amounts of water, whereas hydrogels can absorb and retain water in an equilibrium state. Hydrogels generally have water content between about 15 to about 80 weight percent. Regardless of their water content, both non-hydrogel and hydrogel silicone medical devices tend to have relatively hydrophobic, non-wettable surfaces that have a high affinity for lipids. This problem is of particular concern with contact lenses.
Fumarate- and fumaramide-containing monomers and compositions comprising the monomers have been developed to make highly oxygen permeable hydrogels which may be used to make biomedical devices including contact lenses. Examples of these fumarate- and fumaramide-containing monomers and compositions can be found in U.S. Pat. No.'s 5,374,662, 5,420,324, and 5,496,871, the contents of each being incorporated by reference herein. Because of the polar character of amide functionality, this class of monomer shows good compatibility with both hydrophobic monomers such as tris(trimethylsiloxy)silane (TRIS) and hydrophilic monomers such as N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA). These prior art prepolymers give silicone hydrogels with excellent oxygen permeability and mechanical properties. However, like other silicone hydrogels, they are not wettable enough to be useful as continuous wear lenses unless the surface is treated.
Surface structure and composition determine many of the physical properties and ultimate uses of solid materials. Characteristics such as wetting, friction, and adhesion or lubricity are largely influenced by surface characteristics. The alteration of surface characteristics is of special significance in biotechnical applications where biocompatibility is of particular concern. Therefore, those skilled in the art have long recognized the need for rendering the surface of contact lenses and other medical devices hydrophilic or more hydrophilic. Increasing the hydrophilicity of the contact-lens surface improves the wettability of the contact lenses with tear fluid in the eye. This in turn improves the wear comfort of the contact lenses. In the case of continuous-wear lenses, the surface is especially important. The surface of a continuous-wear lens must be designed not only for comfort, but to avoid adverse reactions such as corneal edema, inflammation, or lymphocyte infiltration. Improved methods have accordingly been sought for modifying the surfaces of contact lenses, particularly high-Dk (highly oxygen permeable) lenses designed for continuous (overnight) wear.
Various patents disclose the attachment of hydrophilic or otherwise biocompatible polymeric chains to the surface of a contact lens in order to render the lens more biocompatible. For example, U.S. Pat. Pub. No. U.S. 2002/0102415 A1 teaches plasma treatment of a fumarate- or fumaramide-containing substrate followed by reaction with other polymers, such as DMA/VDMO copolymer.
Although manufacturing steps such as plasma treatment provide lenses having suitable coatings, it would be desirable to produce a surface treated lens without the need for plasma treatment or corona discharge treatment.
It would be further desirable to provide an improved silicone hydrogel contact lens with an optically clear, hydrophilic surface film that will not only exhibit improved wettability, but which will generally allow the use of a silicone hydrogel contact lens in the human eye for an extended period of time. In the case of a silicone hydrogel lens for extended wear, it would be desirable to provide a contact lens with a surface that is also highly permeable to oxygen and water. Such a surface treated lens would be comfortable to wear in actual use and would allow for the extended wear of the lens without irritation or other adverse effects to the cornea.